Ms Goward said: "A three-way split in the vote makes it very
difficult." But she said she was confident that preferences would
tip her over the line.

The former sex discrimination commissioner arrived at her
Goulburn campaign office at 6.45pm. "I'm nervous, very nervous,"
the woman widely touted as a possible first female Liberal premier
told her followers.

As Mr Stephenson continued to poll strongly, the mood in Ms
Goward's tiny Goulburn office alternated between jubilation and
tears.

With 70 per cent of the vote counted, Mr Stephenson told The
Sun-Herald he was feeling "really confident". "It could come
down to the wire," he said. "It's going to be awfully tight."

Ms Goward echoed Mr Stephenson's prediction: "It will come down
to the pre-poll and postal votes, as well as those from nursing
homes. I understand we've done well there."

In the Blue Mountains, former NSW Rural Fire Service chief Phil
Koperberg held the seat for Labor with a small swing against the
party.

"I am very much relieved," he said last night. "I was really
worried this afternoon. I think this vote sends us two very clear
messages: one is that the electorate trusts Morris Iemma to do what
he promised, and that's to repair NSW. The other is that we have
four years to get our act together or we will pay the penalty."

First-time Liberal candidate Greg Smith, SC, won the seat of
Epping. The former deputy director of public prosecutions, who
won preselection for the seat in preference to Ms Goward, triumphed
despite being attacked by Labor in the lead-up to the election.

"I feel very relieved and very humbled by the experience," he
said. "It is a great vote of trust, not only in me but in many
other people who helped me. It was a stressful campaign but it made
me more determined to stand up and speak out because the Labor
Party wanted to silence candidates they thought would become
threats and this was disgraceful.

"They vilified Peter Debnam. It was one of the most obnoxious
attacks on a man of great character."